Kids Prefer Mobile Games Over Consoles, PCs: Report

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Kids Prefer Mobile Games Over Consoles, PCs: Report

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Kids aged between 2 and 17 prefer to play games on mobile devices instead of PCs or consoles, according to a report, entitled “Kids and Gaming 2015,” released by the NPD Group (via CNET).

Of the surveyed children, 63% said they play games on mobile devices, while PCs were the choice of only 45%, a significant 22% drop in just two years (a similar survey was conducted in 2013). The drop is driven by kids aged between 2 and 5.

Besides PCs, video game consoles are also losing ground: only 60% of the surveyed kids said they play games on consoles, compared to the 67% from two years ago.

“The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer,” NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan said in a press release. “In the past, the computer was considered the entry point for gaming for most kids, but the game has changed now that mobile has moved into that position. This may be related to a change in the behavior of parents that are likely utilizing mobile devices for tasks that were once reserved for computers.”

Of course, this also brings a spike in time spent on mobile devices. About 41% of the surveyed children spend more time playing games on mobile devices than they did a year prior. The average time spent on mobile games per week has grown to six hours, while the overall time spent on consoles has remained flat — depending on the console.

More time spent on mobile games also means more money spent on digital games: according to the NPD study, the average amount of money spent has spiked from $5 to $13 during the past three months, but physical games still lead with a $27 average in the same period.